Integrating STEM & Student

Success:

Leading Intrusive Academic Advising

Through an Institutional Collaborative

Integrating STEM & Student Success

Freddie E. Wills Jr., Ph.D. - Director, MOLSAMP

Harris-Stowe State University

Sylvia Harris, M.Ed., STEM Academic Advisor

University of Missouri - St. Louis

Ryan Miller, BA, Academic Advisor

Truman State University

Integrating STEM & Student Success

● Overview of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program

● Overview of the Missouri LSAMP Alliance

● Review of Intrusive Academic Advising Strategies

● Working within an Institutional Collaborative

● Practical tips YOU can implement

What is MOLSAMP?

● A National Science Foundation research program focused around student success

● An Alliance-based program set in a Tinto’s Model of Retention framework.

● Assists colleges and universities with diversifying the nations STEM workforce

● Provides funding to Alliances for providing comprehensive, evidence-based,

innovative, and sustainable strategies for graduating underrepresented minority

students and advancing them to graduate school and careers

Missouri LSAMP Objectives

● Double the graduation count of underrepresented minority STEM students across

Missouri

● Increase first and second year retention to at least 60%

● Increase 2-year to 4-year transfer rates by 25%

● Increase undergraduates enrolling in graduate school by 25%

Missouri LSAMP (MOLSAMP)

Tinto’s Dropout Model (1975)

Intrusive Academic Advising

“… involves intentional contact with students with the goal of developing a caring and

beneficial relationship that leads to increased academic motivation and persistence...”

Intrusive Academic Advising

“So, tell me, how are things going?”

“....fine…”

“What does that mean?”

MOLSAMP Intrusive Academic Advising

● Relationship building

● Connect students to resources on and off campus; through other institutions

● Have touchpoints when students encounter academic and personal challenges

● Being proactive & solution-oriented

● Help students feel like they are cared for

Institutional Collaborative

● Doing more differently than we do alike...but that’s why it works!

○ Nine campuses!

○ Each campus does what is needed for their students

■ Truman: Intrusive 1:1 academic advising with a dedicated STEM advisor

■ Harris-Stowe: MOLSAMP Club

■ Missouri State: funded academic-year research opportunities

■ UMSL: Intrusive 1:1 academic advising with MOLSAMP advisor and major advisor

TE

AM

Institutional Collaborative

● But we manage to stay on the same page...

○ MOLSAMP Synergy

■ Alliance Guidebook

■ Collaborative teams

● IR Team

● Innovation Team

● Dissemination Team

■ Collaborative activities

● Monthly conference calls

● Annual Research Symposium

● Summer Sophomore STEM Institute

● Summer Research Opportunities

● Travel to conferences

Suggestions for your campus

Wait, you don’t have a $1 million grant to pay for:

A dedicated STEM advisor?

Academic tutors?

Research experiences?

Conference travel?

Food for club meetings?

…….?

Suggestions for your campus

● Intrusive Academic Advising

○ Make yourself and your intentions known to others

○ Develop relationships with faculty and other involved professional advisors or staff

○ Have an organizational system and take notes of student meetings

○ What activities can be automated or completed by peer mentors?

Creating an action plan

● Worksheet

○ Enhancing support for URM students in STEM Fields

○ STEM Action Plan

● Small Group discussion

● Large Group share

● Advice from Dr. Tinto

○ Start at 35:40 - 4 minutes

Any questions?

Acknowledgements

NSF Grant Number: HRD #1619639

Integrating STEM & Student Success

Freddie E. Wills Jr., Ph.D. Director, MoLSAMP

Harris-Stowe State University

willsf@hssu.edu

Sylvia Harris, M.Ed., STEM Academic Advisor

University of Missouri - St. Louis

sharris@umsl.edu

Ryan Miller, BA, STEM Academic Advisor

Truman State University

ryanm@truman.edu

Integrating STEM & Student Success

https://bit.ly/2ZzmryO

Online Concurrent Session Evaluation